Steam & Excursion > Thank you, PlyWoody !!!!

Refer to PlyWoody's excellent description of the fundamentals of spike driving and track work.

In rail operating groups and museums, there is nothing more important than proper 
track work and securment.

IF THE BASICS OF TRACKWORK ARENT DONE RIGHT ,  NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
( Remember when ATSF 2926 fell into the pit, a year or so, ago?
 How much did that cost to get the engine up?  
Never time to build it, right;  but, always time to do it OVER! )

If the equipment and structures maintaining proper track gauge aren't installed properly,
 it doesn't make difference how "pretty" a loco looks ---- with its wheels all over the ground..
and the cars derailed..

So, if you hang around operating rail equipment, know and understand the importance of the
things he writes about in his excellent essay.

Proper safety eyewear :
If you supervise or lead folks who work around any equipment or track work, ensure
that all persons with 100 feet of the work area are wearing protective eye goggles, with
side-guard protection coverage.  Buy the kind of glasses with anti-fogging coatings,
they're under 3-bucks, Google anti-fog safety eye-wear.  

Supply them to your team, and insist on enforcement --- if they're not willing to wear them ,
get them off your property, immediately --- the eye-glass thing highlights the risky-behavior
folks that you don't want to have on your property..EVER!

If you are an officer of an operating museum, or an excursion
operation, gladly supply your team members with proper eye protection --- and enforce
the wearing of safety glasses while performing duties, or presence around folks doing
the work. 

How much are you spending for insurance at your operation?
Supplying free safety eyeglasses to your folks represents only pennies, compared to
the cost to you of one eye injury, or the cost of increased insurance premiums.

Its eyeglass-money wasted though, if all of your leaders do not insist that everyone,
on your property, constantly wear the eye protection that you demand.

PlyWoody's "spike essay" is on of the Top 5 Safety related subjects ever presented on
TrainOrders.  

Read it over and over, so that you know what proper trackwork practices are.
When you see it going on .. .at least you'll know whether to walk away from
the work, or whether to RUN away..

Wes Camp

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/20 05:53 by wcamp1472.

Wes, Just to correct the record, 2926 didn't fall into the work/inspection pit in June 2018, but did have a derailment at the pit that required Hulcher to lift the engine to avoid possible damage to the engine and pit if traditional re-railing efforts were to be used.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/20 10:13 by Cumbresfan.

Woody is an expert on anything and everything railroad. Just ask him.

I never specified what kind of pit.
Its a distinction without a difference.

W.

The way it's written, reads like the entire engine fell into a pit.

Posted from Android

Go to their excellent web site, look at the relevant pics...

It took two Cat Side-booms to pick it up and transport....

I think both engine and tender had full loads of water --- obviously exceeded the
capacity of that pit's design.  That event occurred because the mass exceeded the  
construction and integrity of the failed support system.

But arguing over obvious & visible realities, is not why I was complimenting PlyWoody
for his well written explanation foundations of trackwork.  

If the trackwork ain't right, nothing else matters .   As an example,  2926.....
Q.E.D.

​W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/20 18:33 by wcamp1472.